Page 21 of Dragon's Honor

“I’m all right.”

“You make a living?”

“I do.”

“You’re being humble?”

Finley chuckled. “My talent is subjective to whoever is looking at it. There are people who have liked my pictures enough to pay me for them. I’ve been hired for other jobs based on previous photos taken. I’ve got game. You might think they’re shit. I don’t know.”

“Show me some.”

He wanted to sew his mouth shut. Why was he asking questions about her human life? He didn’t need to know anything about her. He certainly didn’t need to know what she did with her life or her time. It wasn’t any of his business, quite frankly. They were not going to be mates. He was going to take his heartstone back and hopefully never see her again.

“How did you get to your date?” he asked.

She glanced over at him. “I…he picked me up.”

“Let me take you home. It’s the least I can do for ruining your evening.”

Finley stopped walking and turned toward him. “Ash, I think we should say goodnight now. I’ll get myself home.”

Ash stared down at the curvy goddess in front of him. “No.”

“No?” She blinked at him. “You don’t get to suddenly act all protective and barbaric, after ghosting me for a month. Leaving me with nothing but an enigma on my wrist. I should grab your phone and delete my number. I don’t know you, but you’re one giant man of a mystery who clearly doesn’t have a clue what he wants.”

“No,” he growled.

Finley tossed her hands in the air and stormed away.

Ash watched her hurry down the sidewalk away from him. Her ass sashaying from side to side. This woman was going to drive him crazy. There was a choice with mates. They didn’t have to listen to the heartstone. He could walk away. He’d been without a mate his entire life. He didn’t need one now. Not with all the responsibilities bearing down on his shoulders. He wasn’t going to be responsible for one more person.

So why the fuck was he running after her?

“Sawyer.”

She didn’t slow down. She didn’t look back. She didn’t even turn her head.

Fuck.

He broke into a flat run until he caught up to her. “Sawyer, let me get you home.”

“Still sticking with no,” she grumbled.

Ash kept her pace easily. The benefit of being a shifter, his stamina easily surpassed a human’s, but she didn’t seem to be losing any steam.

“Why are you mad at me right now?”

“You’re a controlling asshole, you know that?”

“I do. What’s your point?”

She glanced over at him and then stopped cold again. He backtracked until he was standing in front of her again. Finley lifted her arm between them.

“Take it.”

Ash’s eyes went to the tourmaline around her wrist.

“For some reason,” she wrapped her fingers around it, trying to remove it, “you’re the only one who can take it off.”

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